Confluence
by Scars of Friendship
Summary: [Talks Like A Gentle Soul-verse] There was a commotion from the hallway and Joanna blinked as she heard her father's southern accented yelling break the tranquillity of the residence. "GODDAMNIT JIM!" [Spock and Uhura's Wedding, taking place between the final chapter and epilogue of 'Talks Like A Gentle Soul'].
1. Chapter 1

Summary: There was a commotion from the hallway and Joanna blinked as she heard her father's southern accented yelling break the tranquillity of the residence. "GODDAMNIT JIM!" [Spock and Uhura's Wedding, taking place between the final chapter and epilogue of 'Talks Like A Gentle Soul'].

* * *

Notes: I wanted this complete before I uploaded it all, but things have come up and rather than it sitting here gathering dust, I thought I'd put it up in parts instead. So here is part 1 of Confluence, from the 'Talks Like A Gentle Soul' verse. It can't really be read as a standalone story, though I guess you could if you don't mind pre-established relationships.

* * *

Joanna stepped onto the soil of Vulcan II feeling rather odd. It was her first time on alien soil. Gravity was different, air was different, even the light felt different. And the heat was overpowering, even by Georgia standards.

She pulled on the collar of her cadet reds. She had thought that it would be fitting to come in her Academy uniform, to show that she was (at least provisionally) a member of Starfleet. That perhaps hadn't been a wise decision though. The short walk from the shuttle to the House of Sarek left her drenched in sweat, her whole body feeling like it was marinating in its own juices.

"I told you," her father said, helpfully. He was wearing casual clothes and flip flops of all things. He pulled his sunglasses off when they got to the house's veranda and grinned at her. Joanna stuck her tongue out at him.

She'd just wanted… she'd wanted to impress Nyota, and Spock. Their opinion mattered to her. Unlike her father or Uncle Jim, they were two Starfleet Officers who had no familial ties to her. She wanted them to see her as capable in their own right. It was part of the reason she'd kept the name 'Treadway' in the end, as a way to distance herself from a famous father.

They waited as an elderly Vulcan that Joanna didn't know came to the door to greet them. Her father shifted somewhat uncomfortably and mirrored the ta'al that was offered.

"Ambassador," he greeted. Joanna looked at the man curiously. She'd known that Sarek was an ambassador for Earth but hadn't known her father knew other ambassadors in the Federation. Her curiosity piqued, she raised the ta'al.

"Doctor. And you must be Joanna. It's an honour. I had not yet had the privilege of to meet you," the ambassador greeted her. Joanna thought the wording was weird, but her father just put his hands around her shoulders.

"Mind if we get in off the porch? It's baking out here," her father said. Joanna nodded eagerly and the ambassador stepped aside to let them into the house. Inside was much cooler to Joanna's relief. She wiped her forehead on the back of her sleeve as surreptiously as she could.

"You have pre-empted the Enterprise by several hours, Doctor McCoy. You may wish to retire to your rooms for that period to escape the hottest part of the day," the ambassador was saying. Joanna was surprised when blank-faced servants appeared in the halls, taking her bag from her without a word. She looked at her father with raised eyebrows. Spock's family really was fancy.

"Nyota and Spock aren't here yet?" Her father asked, frowning. The ambassador smiled.

"They have left the preparations of the wedding in capable hands. I believe they are practical people, who merely see this as a formality rather than on occasion," he replied. Her father's eyebrows went from drawn together to rising to his hairline.

"Sounds like a blast," he said, sarcastically. Uncharacteristically for a Vulcan, the ambassador smiled.

"It is not how my own wedding was, but it does indeed highlight the profound changes between the time lines that such an event is occurring," the ambassador replied. Joanna was lost at that point, but it didn't seem to matter too much as her father was pushing her towards the stairs.

"Where are our rooms?" he asked. The ambassador's face became somewhat more impassive.

"If you head upstairs, your own room Doctor McCoy is in the first room to the right. Your daughter's is immediately across the hallway," he replied. Her father gave a stiff nod and led Joanna upstairs. Only once they were out of earshot from sensitive Vulcan ears did her father let out a low breath.

"That guy gives me the willies," he said and Joanna couldn't get him to tell her why.

* * *

The House of Sarek was just as beautiful on Vulcan II as it had been on Earth. Joanna's room was sparsely decorated, but it had everything she needed for the three day stay that was planned. Her father had disappeared into his own room to unpack, but she knew that he was nervous.

It was the first time he was going to see Jim in nearly six months and she knew that her father was wary of the meeting. They hadn't really had time to sort out their relationship, from the bits and pieces she'd gathered from her father and Jim separately. Her father's absolute fear of Jim choosing to be with someone else and Jim's terror that her father was going to decide it wasn't worth it coloured their every conversation and it was getting to a point that Joanna felt it would have been better if her father had just gone into goddamn space with the Commodore.

There was a commotion from the hallway and Joanna blinked as she heard her father's southern accented yelling break the tranquillity of the residence.

"GODDAMNIT JIM!"

She darted out of her room, looking up and down the hallway before seeing her father's door was ajar. She burst through it, grinning, although she pulled up short when she saw Jim pinning her father to the bed, laughing his ass off. She felt her face flush, saw her father's horrified face and Jim crawled off him, clutching his stomach as he laughed.

"Oh Bones! You jumped so high I thought you were going to hit the ceiling! I didn't think you'd actually fall over!" Jim laughed. Her father sat up, scowling and putting distance between him and Jim.

Jim looked… thinner. His uniform sagged a little around his frame. Other than that though, his face was lit up, his eyes bright and a grin stretched across his face from ear to ear.

"Yeah well I wasn't expecting you beam down behind me!" her father snapped, getting to his feet and skirting around the side of the bed as though to put distance between them. Joanna decided not to comment for the moment, walking over to Jim and pulling him to his feet.

He encased her in a tight hug, arms wrapped firmly around her shoulders. She returned it, frowning at the ribs she could feel through his uniform. He pulled away after a few moments.

"And look at you in your cadet reds!" Jim said, smoothing her hair out of her face. "You look older."

"Well that's because usually you have to graduate high school before you get into the Academy. Unless you're a genius like me of course," she replied, batting his hand away and taking a few steps back. Jim laughed and looked towards her father. He had a warm smile on his face and his cheeks tinged a little pink when he met Jim's eyes.

"Is Spock nervous?" Her father asked, seeming to be trying to fill the silence. Jim moved away from the bed to the window, looking out at the dusty, red landscape. He shrugged.

"They've been bonded in the Vulcan way for months. Living inside each other's heads. I don't think they have much to worry about," he said with a shrug. Joanna sighed and she saw Jim look at her with raised eyebrows.

"What? It's romantic!" she protested, holding up her hands. "Bonding for life? Having a connection so deep with someone you can hear their thoughts?"

"Sounds like hell," her father replied. Jim laughed, though Joanna could see the slight look of hurt pass over the Commodore's face. She guessed that she should leave them to it.

"The wedding starts in three hours, once the heat has settled. I'm going to go explore the house," she said. Her father nodded to her, starting to fiddle with things in his suitcase, unfolding a shirt only to fold it again. She rolled her eyes and left the room.

They'd probably get over each other if they were left to their own devices for a bit. Or at least she hoped so. They were both acting as Best Man for this wedding, and they needed to be able to look at one another without blushing or stammering.

She explored the house a little, walking through strangely decorated rooms and hallways. Some were obvious in purpose, others not so. She had spent a good fifteen minutes in one room, staring at a sculpture and trying to work out what it was, when she shook her head and realised without a guide she would never know.

She was pleased to find that a section of the gardens had been erected in a biodome. Stepping into it, the air was still rather warmer than the climate controlled house, but it wasn't so hot that it felt her body was cooking in its own juices.

She could tell that many of the plants were from Earth, though some had been genetically modified to thrive in the soil of Vulcan II. It seemed to be mostly roses, though there were a few other flowers. She leaned down to sniff at one, closing her eyes as the delicate scent met her nose.

"Miss Treadway?"

She jumped, putting a hand to her mouth to stop herself from doing something embarrassing like screaming. She turned to see a young Vulcan male was stood at the other end of the biodome. He had gardening tools in hand and dirt on his knees. His dark gaze was fixed on her, impassive and emotionless.

"Am I not supposed to be in here?" she asked. The Vulcan shook his head, walking towards her with the purposeful stride that most of his race held.

"You are allowed anywhere on my Uncle's estate, I am sure. My name is Selek. I am a cousin of Spock," he introduced himself, coming to a stop before her. Joanna nodded.

"Well, you seem to know who I am," she replied, feeling a nervous giggle claw its way out of her throat. He raised an eyebrow.

"Indeed. You are the daughter of Doctor McCoy. I have been following your father's career with great interest. Now that he has taken a residency at Starfleet, I am hoping that I will be able to attend some of his classes in the future," he said, his voice monotone and without inflection. Joanna had never really come across Vulcans before, apart from Spock, and she suddenly realised how different the other was from them. Talking to Selek was rather like conversing with a computer.

"Are you intending to join Starfleet?" she asked, trying to maintain conversation. This was a point where Spock might have raised an eyebrow, or clasped his hands behind him. Selek merely remained motionless, dark eyes staring at Joanna's face.

"I am currently studying at the Vulcan Science Academy. It is best that my efforts are spent rebuilding the colony rather than joining Starfleet. I believe that a short sabbatical at Starfleet will not hurt that goal however," he replied. Joanna nodded, wondering what else she could ask. Everything felt stiff. She traced a flower with her finger.

"Don't let me keep you from gardening," she said, letting her hand drop. To her despair, Selek merely shook his head.

"I am appreciative of your company, Miss Treadway. I wished to ask you…"

* * *

"Well, Joanna looked happy," Jim said tentatively, trying to get conversation going again. Bones had been going through his suitcase, hanging everything up and Jim could tell the other was avoiding his eye. It was odd, because the day before when Jim had commed him, there had been none of this awkwardness. Easy chatter, light teasing, nothing out of the ordinary.

Jim decided to throw caution to the wind, walking up behind Bones. He wasn't silent. He knew the other had heard him, could have moved away if he'd wanted to and although Bones went stiff as Jim's arms slid around him, he didn't pull away.

"Jim I'm unpacking," he protested. Jim kissed the back of Bones' neck gently, feeling the other shiver slightly.

"Uh-huh. Carry on," he said. His hands moved from around Bones' waist down to his hips as he continued to trace his lips over Bones' neck. He could feel the goosepimples break out along the skin and he smirked, pressing his hips forward and into Bones' rear.

It was then that Bones pulled away, leaving Jim feeling bereft. Bones didn't go far, he turned, his hands on Jim's chest. It wasn't a 'come here' grab though, like Jim had been expecting. It was a barrier. Bones was trying to put distance between them.

"Okay, what's going on? We haven't seen each other in months and you're pushing me away the first chance we get alone together?" Jim couldn't help the bitterness in his tone. Bones scowled at him.

"Don't take that tone with me, Jim," Bones said and his eyes flashed with annoyance. Jim took a step back, breaking all contact between them. What on Earth had he done wrong between last night and this afternoon that Bones was looking at him like that?

"Look, I get it, you're horny as a toad but my daughter is across the hall and we have a wedding to get ready for," Bones pointed out. Jim smiled. Was that all Bones was worried about? They had plenty of time and they could always lock the door. Jim stepped forward.

"Come on Bones. A quickie isn't going to hurt. We'll still have plenty of time," he said, his arm sliding around Bones' waist. The other was still scowling at him though, and Jim felt his smile flickering out.

"Look, Jim. I just… I don't feel like it right now, alright?" Bones said. Jim wanted to scream but he didn't. He kept his arms around Bones, trying to see through his bullshit to the issue beneath. He couldn't tell what it was though, other than that the doctor seemed stressed by something, as usual. Well, they had three days of shore leave to work it out (two and half now he supposed) and that was more than enough time.

Jim pressed a kiss to the corner of Bones' mouth, where his lips had turned downwards ever so slightly as he frowned.

"Sure thing, Bones… Now why don't you tell me all about the flight over-"

"Don't get me started Jim…"


	2. Chapter 2

Notes: Finished! MAYBE more from this universe, but maybe not. I don't know if there's more to tell. Open to requests for what people would like to see I guess.

* * *

Uhura looked beautiful. The white of her dress offset her dark skin in a way that made Joanna feel instantly jealous. Her whole body was encased in layer upon layer of silk and chiffon and she didn't even look remotely hot, even in the dying Vulcan heat. Joanna sighed as she looked on, seeing the happiness in Nyota's face in stark contrast to the impassive expression on Spock's face. Joanna guessed he was happy, especially seeing as the first thing he did was raise his hand, pushing the tips of their fingers together.

"Bones, are you crying?"

Joanna turned her head at Jim's whisper to see her father rolling his eyes at Jim. He clearly wasn't, though his voice did sound a little choked when he told Jim to shut up. Jim smiled and reached out, taking her father's hand in his own and squeezing it.

The ceremony wasn't that traditional, it couldn't be all things considered. The vows that they said were… logical. There wasn't much talk about love, except in an abstract sense and the readings were a combination of Terran religious scripture and the teachings of Surak. It wasn't as jarring as it could have been to switch between the two.

When the Vulcan registrar declared them married, Joanna applauded politely and ignored Jim's whoops from beside her. Nyota looked happy and she kissed Spock on the mouth, to the quirked eyebrows of the Vulcan guests, before they walked back down the aisle together.

Her father and Jim waited until most of the crowd had subsided before following after them to the marquee that Spock's father had set up in the garden. They weren't really talking to each other and Joanna felt a little odd. Jim was continuing like his normal self, but her father had gone suspiciously quiet.

She was about to ask him what was the matter when Selek seemed to materialise beside her. She gritted her teeth and smiled as best she could. He asked if he could escort her to the marquee and she sighed slightly, looking at her father over her shoulder.

"I will take no offence if you want to walk across with your father and Commodore Kirk," Selek said after the momentary silence. Joanna winced and knew that she couldn't really get out of it if she was called on it. Instead she hesitantly nodded and began to walk between the chairs, trying not to look too uncomfortable about it.

Selek seemed to find no reason to break the silence and Joanna couldn't think of much to talk about. She let him escort her half way to the marquee before her discomfort finally let itself be known.

"Humans usually… make small talk? You know? To set each other at ease and to get a hold of each other's personalities," she said. Selek seemed to find the concept intriguing, because the rest of the walk was spent discussing what kinds of things humans classified as small talk and the cultural significance of each thing.

Joanna explained things, and it was kind of refreshing seeing stupid human things from another perspective. By the time they reached the marquee, she'd managed to effectively address how humans might talk about the weather, or sports, or holovid shows just to 'break the ice', and then had to explain what 'breaking the ice' meant.

Selek escorted her to her seat. She was sat with Pavel, Hikaru and Scotty. She proceeded to demonstrate her ability for small talk while Selek watched with dark eyes. Eventually he excused himself with a promise to perhaps be back later. The moment he left, Hikaru slung an arm around her shoulders.

"Looks like you adopted a pet Vulcan like Uhura!" he chirped. Joanna scowled and shrugged him off.

"It's nothing like that. He just… I think he's curious about humans, that's all," she said, helping herself to a glass of water and ignoring Hikaru and Pavel sharing a look with each other. It wasn't true. Vulcans didn't believe in love or attraction at first sight, and Selek certainly hadn't known her before today.

It was pure nonsense and she wasn't going to let something like that spoil the day.

* * *

Leonard hadn't read Jim's best man's speech and so when he stood up to deliver it, he felt a sinking feeling of dread. He had promised Spock that he wouldn't let Jim go overboard, but there were pages and pages there and Jim had already had a few flutes of champagne.

Of course, the minute that Commodore Kirk stood, all eyes were on him. Bones couldn't really blame them. Jim did cut a striking picture while he was stood there, his dress uniform buttoned up properly, his medals gleaming on his chest. All clean cut lines and sparkling blue eyes from the grey of his suit.

"I had a speech prepared that was long and raucous and detailed all the miscommunications between me and Spock over the years," Jim began, his hands resting elegantly around another champagne flute. Leonard felt a muscle in his jaw twitch. Please Jim not here, not on his wedding day.

"But there are other times for that. When you get your first kid, they are going to be told so many stories," Jim threatened good-naturedly. Some of the humans in the crowd chuckled. The Vulcans remained impassive as always.

"As it stands, I'm just going to wish you all the best. To Nyota, a life of happiness and love, you have been the best Communications expert I could have ever asked for and served with. A true friend and a beauty to boot. To Spock, I don't think I can put it into words. You have saved me on more than one occasion in more than one way. Live long and prosper, my friend," he raised his glass and sipped it. Leonard sipped his own champagne in time and was surprised when Jim sat down.

"That's it?" he whispered. Jim smiled at him and squeezed his knee under the table.

"That's it. There are too many Vulcans here to say what I want to say properly and I told Spock and Uhura everything that they needed to hear before they were bonded," Jim said and removed his hand from Leonard's knee. He sighed and began to eat the vegetarian food on his plate. He had to at least make the effort because he was on the head table and everyone could see him.

He didn't know what to say to Jim. Jim clearly wanted them to pick up all lovey dovey like they'd left off, but Leonard wasn't sure he could. It had been six months, and it looked to be another eighteen until Jim was back on Earth. Leonard wasn't sure if he could let Jim go if he gave in now and revelled in the other's closeness. His logic was that if he could hold back now, it wouldn't be so hard in a few days' time when Jim had to leave.

The plates were cleared away and Uhura rose to her feet for the first dance. Spock followed her, taking her into his arms as the sound of a violin pierced through the silence. Leonard didn't recognise the song, but the two of them had such a love of music, both alien and ancient, that he could have been anything. He was instantly thrown back to his own wedding day, where he and Jocelyn had insisted on an upbeat song, saying that it would reflect their marriage. How wrong they'd been. Still, Jocelyn had looked lovely that day, happy. He supposed he had as well.

Happier than Spock looked probably.

He turned to see that Jim wasn't watching Nyota and Spock, but was watching him instead. He shifted in his seat, trying to stop his lips quirking upwards into a smile. They hadn't really told anyone about their relationship, though they hadn't kept it a secret either. He was sure that some of the more eagle-eyed guests had seen Jim take his hand already, but he knew that the cat would be completely out of the bag if Jim continued to stare at him like that.

"Stop it," he said, though he couldn't help but sound a little amused. Jim laughed but he did look away again, back at Nyota and Spock as they slowly swayed.

"Would you do this again?" Jim asked. Leonard turned to him, eyebrow raised.

"Do what again?" he asked, checking that he was sure he understood what Jim was getting at.

"Get married," Jim clarified. Leonard looked away, feeling the conflicting emotions running through him. He'd love to, in a way, because it would bind Jim so close to him that the other couldn't escape without filing legal papers, but at the same time, it was all too easy to remember that those legal papers were all too easy to get these days.

"I don't think we're in any position to start talking about marriage, Jim," he said softly. "Let's see how things go."

Jim didn't look at him, continuing to watch Nyota and Spock as they broke apart at the end of the song.

"Alright, Bones," he said, but Leonard could hear the hurt in his voice and cursed himself for not just getting swept up in the moment and lying to Jim instead. He was about to say something when Jim got to his feet.

"I'm going to ask Joanna to dance. Save her from Scotty's two left feet," he said, turning away with a wink. Leonard watched him go before getting up from the table as well to find more alcohol. He watched as Jim span Joanna out onto the dance floor. Nyota laughed and moved out of the way as Joanna nearly went flying by the manhandling, before they settled into a much more sedate dancing.

"Doctor McCoy."

Leonard turned, surprised that Ambassador Spock had sought him out. He inclined his head to the other in greeting and took another sip of the champagne. The Ambassador had a similar glass, though it was just sparkling fruit juice in his, as all the Vulcans were drinking.

"It is an interesting occasion," the Ambassador said. Leonard tried not to dwell on how old this Vulcan was, how he'd probably seen the demise of every human here in his home world. It still gave him the chills to think about it.

"You didn't get married in your timeline?" Leonard asked, because usually asking about timelines was the easiest way to get the Ambassador to leave you alone. Spock merely sipped his fruit juice, his elderly eyes scanning the dancing crowd before finally settling on Jim dancing with Joanna.

"In my time line, I did indeed get bonded. Though there was no human ceremony," he said simply. Leonard scowled at his drink, wondering why the old man was staring at his Jim before he pushed down on the ridiculousness of that jealousy.

"Did Nyota not insist on it in your universe?" he asked, wondering why he was so masochistic to keep talking to this man who insisted on talking in riddles. Jim liked him plenty, and even the younger Spock seemed to tolerate him. Leonard… something about the other man just riled him. More than even Spock from their own universe did. It was because he was an anomaly. Something that just didn't belong. And he had known. Had known about Khan, about the hundreds of ways they might possibly die on their five year mission, and yet he'd done nothing about it.

"I did not bond with Nyota. It is one of the startling differences in this universe," the Ambassador said simply and that caused Leonard to cease glowering and look at the other in surprise.

"Who did you get bonded to then?" he asked and the Ambassador quirked an eyebrow as if to say it should be obvious.

Leonard felt a shock go through him when he realised it was obvious. He could see it now, in the way that the Ambassador was looking at the dance floor almost wistfully. Like Jim and Spock were dancing with the wrong partners. He felt the flash of hot jealousy flare in him, singing into his gut and snaking through his limbs.

"Does Jim know?" he asked, not knowing whether he wanted the other to or not. The Ambassador nodded.

"Emotional transference the time we melded meant it was impossible to hold it back. Be aware, Doctor McCoy. If you do not hold onto James T Kirk, he slips away from you," the Ambassador warned before he took a few steps back and walked away. Leonard growled and put the champagne flute down.

"I'm cutting in," he said. Joanna blinked at him, clearly not sure who he was cutting in to dance with. He turned to Jim though, taking the other's hand. Joanna gracefully backed off, her smile looking somewhat relieved.

Jim's arms snaked around his waist almost immediately and he saw the other's expression brighten. He slid his arms around Jim's neck and leaned in, softly brushing his lips over the Commodore's.

"Sorry. I… I'll explain later why I've been… worse than usual," he said. Jim smiled and pressed another kiss to his lips, accepting his apology without words. He didn't let go of Leonard even when the song ended and Leonard found he didn't care too much about it.

Jim felt warm but bony against him and he frowned a little at the sharp edges that hadn't been there before. It was another thing to nag about later, but right now he just enjoyed the feeling of Jim pressed against his front as the music swelled around them.

Jim eventually started to get restless just dancing normally and his hands began to wander. The first time his hand ventured downwards, Leonard had just given him a stern look and he'd removed it. But then Jim started pressing soft, fluttering kisses down his neck before biting down gently a few moments later. Leonard felt himself shudder and decided that they'd definitely shown their faces enough for one wedding.

He grabbed Jim's hand, pulling him off the dance floor. Jim laughed behind him and allowed himself to be dragged. He very carefully avoided Joanna's eyes as he left. He knew his baby girl probably knew that he was about to screw her Uncle Jim into the mattress, shower, and all available services in their room, but she didn't need to know that.

* * *

"I was wondering if you could explain to me again the reason behind the bride and groom having the first dance. It isn't logical, so it must be cultural," Selek said and Joanna smiled at him patiently. He had sought her out after her father had pretty much bulldozed his way onto the dance floor and commandeered Jim from her grasp. She'd returned in time to hear the shocked responses of Scotty, Pavel and Hikaru as they noticed and take in Spock and Nyota's rather overjoyed expressions (overjoyed for Spock in any case).

Selek was completely oblivious to the gossip about her father and Jim and in a way, he protected her from the probing questions of some of those who wanted to talk to her about it. She had started to explain weddings to him simply, but his thirst for knowledge was rather insatiable and they'd covered so many things, both Vulcan and human, over the last hour that she had needed to get a glass of water as her throat was slightly sore.

Really, Selek wasn't that bad. Unlike the other Vulcans, he did not dismiss human cultural traditions as purely illogical, but instead tried to understand them with his limited life experience. He tried to contextualise them, but with no way of doing so he struggled. It was clearer now they had spoken at length that Selek really couldn't be that much older than her, and when it came to widening horizons, that Joanna had probably experienced much more of the universe than he had.

"It's just tradition. I don't really know the reason behind it," she said, sipping her water.

"I have heard of some species, where they have sex with the bride first, before a crowd in order to show that the marriage is consummated. Perhaps it stems from that?" Selek hypothesised. Joanna choked on her water, reaching out to get a napkin to pat down her chin.

"U-Um. I don't think it's anything to do with that," she said and Selek nodded, bowing to her superior wisdom. Joanna wondered what on earth Vulcans had been studying about humans in the years that they had known them, to have such a weird version of their culture to pass on to their young.

"It is customary to dance at weddings, is it not? To celebrate the bonded pair?" Selek asked. Joanna nodded, surprised when the young Vulcan stood.

"If you would do me the honor, Miss Treadway?" he asked and she was certain that she saw a flash of uncertainty in his eyes, fleeting but enough to be endearing. She smiled and nodded.

"Certainly Selek," she said and slipped her hand into his, ignoring the way he shuddered slightly in response.

* * *

Jim had barely got into the door of their room when Bones was tugging at the buttons of his dress uniform. He discarded his hat almost immediately, his hands going to Bones' hair and thoroughly messing it up as he leaned in to press their mouths together. He trailed his tongue over Bones' lower lip before he felt the doctor's tongue meet his own, tangling and letting the taste of champagne and Bones into his mouth.

He heard Bones growl as his fingers fumbled he buttons and Jim let go of the other's hair long enough to shrug the jacket off. Bones seemed happy enough at that point to slide his hands under the black undershirt, his skilled hands stroking up Jim's spine before his nails dragged slowly down.

Jim whimpered, there was no other word for the noise, as he felt Bones' strong, sure hands moving over his skin. He began to pull at Bones' own uniform, popping the buttons through the buttonholes as fast as his fingers could. He only just managed to get it open before Bones moved from kissing his lips down over his jaw to his neck.

He tilted his head, wishing he was against a wall or a chair or something so he could keep his balance as his knees went weak. Bones pressed wet, open-mouth kisses against the column of his throat, before he began to add teeth, to bite and suck and nibble until Jim was hard, his dress trousers tented in front of him, and his neck no doubtedly marked. He clutched at the material of Bones' jacket as he tried not to get swept away in the sensations the doctor was assaulting him with.

Bones finally drew back, although only long enough to push Jim against the wall, sliding his shirt up over his shoulders and letting it tangle around Jim's wrists. He then moved forward, while Jim was still trying to untangle himself, pressing kisses down Jim's chest, tongue flicking over nipples and fingertips skimming the ticklish spots just above his hips.

Bones continued down, taking his time and yet putting so much passion into each kiss that Jim could almost feel how much he was holding back. Bones finally came to a stop on his knees, his face pressed against Jim's crotch as he nuzzled him through the fabric. Jim slid a shaking hand into the other's hair as Bones… Oh Christ. Did he just pull my zipper down with his teeth?

Bones' hands were on him then, pulling his pants and boxers down together. He watched as those elegant hands wrapped around him, slide up his length, over the head, smearing precome over the tip. He cursed when Bones' tongue traced after it, tongue flicking for every last drop as his hand continued to work Jim's length.

It had been six months with the company of his own hand, and Jim knew his stamina had gone to shit during that time. He was embarrassingly close already, his hips pressing forward, wanting Bones to take more than just the tip into that hot, warm mouth.

"Fuck… Bones! Please…" he panted, hoping to any deity that would listen that Bones would take mercy on him. He felt Bones chuckle slightly before those beautiful lips parted and Jim felt himself taken in deep in a slow, long slide that made his thighs tremble.

"F-Fuck," he wanted to let his head fall back, to lose himself to the sensations, but at the same time he wanted to watch Bones' lips stretched around him. It felt like being claimed, like Bones was putting some kind of mark on him for all the world to see, and Jim couldn't help but find it incredibly hot.

He could feel heat starting to pool in his groin, could feel his hips jerking sporadically, breaking free of his control. He was so close. His eyes closed and his head fell back. He was about to warn Bones, to whimper the other's name as he came when he felt the doctor's hands circle the base of his cock firmly, cutting off his path to orgasm so neatly that for a moment he could barely even get his thought processes in order to figure out what had happened.

"Not here. On the bed," Bones said, getting off his knees but keeping his hand in place. "You sure you're not going to cum if I let go?"

Jim thought about lying to Bones just to get off faster, but when he looked into those hazel eyes, darker now with lust and possessiveness, he couldn't. He shook his head, burying his face in Bones' shoulder as he took a few deep breaths and tried to calm himself down.

"Give me a sec. That was kind of intense," he said, his voice huskier than he'd thought it would be. Bones had the audacity to actually chuckle and Jim swatted at him half-heartedly. "It's all your fault. What the hell was that? Just attacking me when we got through the door?"

"Complete and utter jealousy at its ugliest I'm afraid, Darlin'," Bones replied, letting go of Jim's cock now and sliding a hand into his hair instead. Jim pulled back to look at his eyes, slightly confused.

"Of who? I haven't been seeing someone else Bones if that's what this is-" Jim was cut off by Bones kissing him again and he could barely breathe by the time the other stopped.

"I know," Bones said softly. Jim looked at him for a moment before nodding. This wasn't something he'd done wrong, but something else and he could wait to find out what it was. And enjoy it in the meantime.

Bones eventually pulled away from him, pulling him by the wrist towards the bed and shoving the suitcase that was still laid open on it onto the floor. Jim saw Bones' clothes scatter across the floor and took a small amount of glee in the fact that clothes that had held Bones' attention instead of him earlier were now thrown away as though they didn't matter.

Bones was on him almost immediately, his hands heavy on Jim's shoulders, pushing him back down onto the sheets as Bones struggled to get his own pants kicked off without the help of his hands. Eventually with a bit of help from Jim, they were both naked, pressed against each other, hands roaming over skin that was rapidly becoming sticky with sweat in the heat of New Vulcan.

Jim felt Bones settle between his thighs and spread his legs eagerly, wrapping them around Bones' waist and pressing his hips up. Bones shuddered and kissed him firmly before breaking away to grope around in the bedside drawer.

His hand came back with the lubricant that Jim had squirrelled away in there earlier when he'd thought Bones wasn't looking. He tried to look innocent but Bones just rolled his eyes, undoing the cap with his teeth and squirting a generous amount onto his fingers.

He reached between them and Jim flinched from the coolness of the lubricant against his opening. He saw Bones glance at him, silently asking for permission. Jim reached down, grabbing Bone's wrist and adding pressure until he felt the first finger slide into his body. He didn't let go until he knew that the first digit was buried in him completely, the strange too-tight feeling spreading through him.

Bones leaned over him, pressing kisses to his stomach as he slowly moved his finger in and out, working Jim slowly open around those beautiful hands. When Jim felt he could finally breathe again, another finger slid into him, causing his cock to jump against his stomach. Bones kissed the tip as Jim whimpered as the fingers curled inside him. Of course Bones knew what he was doing, where he was pressing, and soon Jim could feel sweat along his hair line, beading on his chest.

It was like Bones was playing with his body, sliding sometimes so dead onto his prostate that his back arched off the bed and his legs spread wider, sometimes missing it over and over again until Jim just wanted the other to take his cock in hand and pull him off right that second.

Finally Bones removed his fingers, slicking up his cock before he wiped his hand off on the bed sheets. He pressed inside Jim slow and steady. Jim's body struggled to adjust, his breath coming in gasps as his body twinged and stretched, burning as it tried to accommodate the other. It had been a very long time since Jim had done this and his body was betraying it's lay of practise.

He heard Bones curse as he stilled, his hips pressed against the back of Jim's thighs as Jim tangled his legs behind Bones' hips. He tried to distract himself from the burn by stroking his cock back to life. Bones watched as he did so, his eyes half lidded as he did so. Only when Jim held his eyes did Bones move again, his hips rocking slowly against Jim's body.

It felt incredible. It hurt and stretched but Bones was curved just right. Jim soon felt like a quivering wreck again, having been driven almost to the edge of two orgasms already. He could hear Bones panting above him and he leaned up, feeling the other's breath ghost over his lips before he could kiss him. Eventually he had to sag back though, the effort becoming too much for his straining stomach muscles.

He clawed at the bed sheets, his own pants becoming a steady litany of moans, curses and Bones name as he tried to encourage the doctor to go faster. He wanted nothing more than for Bones to slam into him, over and over until he couldn't walk. He would consider it a victory if he crawled to the Enterprise after this was over.

Bones kissed every inch of him he could get to, marking him with tender kisses and vicious bites. Nothing as visible as he knew the one on his neck would be, but enough that Jim could feel that the gesture was more than just because it was erotic. He could feel bruises forming on his hips as Bones began to pull him harder against him.

He became swept away with the sensations, unable to stop himself from moaning at the slight pain of Bones' teeth juxtaposed against the slow thrusts into his body. When Bones finally gripped his dick, pumping it hard in time with his thrusts, Jim was almost completely gone. His swollen lips formed a word, possible God or Bones or Fuck, Jim didn't know, and then he was cumming, his back arching and his hips stuttering. His whole body felt taut and boneless instantly.

He clutched at Bones' shoulders, desperately riding out the orgasm that felt so intense that it seemed to white out his eyesight. When he finally opened his eyes again Bones was slumped on him, pressing gently, tired kisses against his sweat-covered chest.

"Okay. Wow. You've been holding out on me Doctor McCoy," he said, soft pants punctuating his speech. Bones groaned and rolled over onto his back, groping for the covers to pull up to their waist.

"Not holding out. Just hadn't had a chance," he said softly. Jim shook his head, curling up against Bones' side. It seemed that he had done the right thing because Bones smiled, turning on his side so he could look at Jim's face.

"You said… since the shuttle, right?" Bones asked and Jim could see that the other looked… tentative. Like he didn't want to have to ask, but he needed to. Jim wondered what on earth could be wrong.

"Yeah. Since we met, it's just been you," he said and he figured that Bones would know that he meant emotionally and not physically.

"No twinges for anyone else?" Bones pressed. Jim scowled and drew back, offended.

"No. Why are you asking Bones?" he asked. Bones relaxed a little and shook his head.

"Just something someone said. Though I think that they were trying to give me a little push to get over myself," Bones replied. Jim just stared at him, waiting for him to explain. Bones sighed, running a hand through his hair and lying on his back.

"I thought… I thought it'd be too hard to let go again. So I thought if I kept you at arm's length for a weekend it would… Make it easier somehow. But it didn't and when Ambassador Spock-" Bones' mouth snapped shut, his nostrils flaring in annoyance at himself. Jim felt fondness wash over him when he realised what must have happened. He pressed a kiss against Bones' arm.

"Ambassador Spock's Kirk was a very different man. He met you much later and he went through different trials and experiences in very different orders. You don't have to worry about me running off with Old Spock… Or Young Spock. Or anyone for that matter," he said softly, reaching out to run his fingertips over Bones' stomach, humming at the soft hair he found there.

"I know that in my head…" Bones trailed off, staring resolutely at the ceiling. Jim laughed.

"Well, if this is how your jealousy manifests itself, I say take it out on me for the next day or so," he suggested. Bones rolled his eyes but didn't protest when Jim threw a leg over him, resting his head on the doctor's chest and pressing in tight.

"Nap first though, right?" he suggested. Bones hummed in agreement, the deep sound reverberating through his chest.

* * *

"Well, I was beginning to wonder if you'd died," Joanna said as her father appeared at the breakfast table two days later. Jim was next to him. They were both suspiciously freshly showered and Jim's neck was a complete mess that made Joanna blush and look away.

The Enterprise crew didn't seem to know whether to broach the subject or leave it alone. It was only when Spock brought up the idea that perhaps the Commodore could make use of a dermal regenerator that the others broke into easy laughter.

"I'm going to pass on that one, Spock. Gonna keep these as a badge of honor," he said. Her father scowled but said nothing, pretty much a sign of approval coming from him. Joanna picked up her toast and tried not to think too hard about any of it.

"I was not aware that you and Doctor McCoy had become romantically entangled," Spock continued and Joanna wished he'd just shut up because Jim was bound to regale them with stories of what they'd been doing and Joanna did not want to know.

"We talked about it before Jim took his position on the Enterprise. Figured we'd try to make it work," her father forced out before Jim could open his mouth. Spock nodded and seemed to take that as a complete answer.

Joanna excused herself at that point because Hikaru was starting to ask Jim rather inappropriate questions that had her father blushing. Joanna knew when her father was lying, and whether he and Jim had done that particular thing or not, she didn't want to know.

She found herself in the rose garden bio dome, saying one last goodbye to the roses as she walked. He was when she got to the edge of the garden that she noticed a dark shape following behind her. She turned to see Selek stood there, looking sheepish by Vulcan terms at least, a piece of paper clutched in his hand.

"I have heard it is customary to exchange numbers in Terran culture, if one desires to remain in communication with the purpose of… dating," Selek said the word like it was distasteful or somehow difficult. Joanna smiled.

"Thank you Selek," she said, taking the number from him. "But I don't think we'd be a very good match. We'd make good friends, perhaps?"

The Vulcan studied her for a moment and then nodded. "I will hold hope that through our friendship, you might see me as a suitable bondmate then." Joanna shook her head, bemused by his insistence that they be more than just friends.

"Why do you think we'd be compatible, Selek?" she asked. Selek actually shifted then, looking uncomfortable. Joanna was slightly shocked to see a slight tinge of green on his cheeks.

"Your mind is… unique. I enjoy your insights and I do not find your aesthetics displeasing," he said. Joanna shook her head. It was the worst chat up line she'd heard in a long time and she didn't know what to say in response to it. Instead she put his number in her pocket.

"I will enjoy your friendship, Selek, but I won't return your feelings," she said gently. Selek nodded.

"It would be dishonourable of me to mention them again then," he said and inclined his head before walking away. Joanna was certain she could almost tell he was sulking.

She walked back through the house, surprised to find her father in the reception hall with his suitcase ready by his feet.

"Jim went," he said simply and Joanna nodded. Her father looked… happy. Energised. Like someone had switched something on within him. She hoped that he'd get to see Jim again soon to top up some of that energy.

"Wait a minute and I'll get my bag," she said, hopping up the stairs. Selek's comm number wrinkled in her pocket with each step.

It felt like something had changed during these few days, though only time would show what.


End file.
